British Birth Injury Case Illustrates Types of Damages That Maryland Plaintiffs Can Seek

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British Birth Injury Case Illustrates Types of Damages That Maryland Plaintiffs Can Seek

By
Wais Vogelstein Forman & Offutt LLC
|February 04, 2015

Earlier this year in England, a young girl and her family recovered a large
verdict after a contested trial stemming from the girl’s severe
case of cerebral palsy, which was allegedly caused due to the negligence
of the hospital where she was born. According to one local English news
source, the family’s fight for justice took seven years. They just recently
had the verdict affirmed on appeal for the last time.

Evidently, back in 2007 the young girl was deprived of oxygen when she
was being delivered at the defendant’s hospital. The young girl
developed a severe case of cerebral palsy that affects all four of her
limbs. She relies on others for constant care, and according to one of
her family’s attorneys she is an “enthusiastic little girl
who makes the most of life despite her limitations.”

Regarding the lawsuit against them, the hospital did not dispute that they
were negligent in the girl’s delivery. However, the hospital did
contest some of the damages that were alleged by the girl’s family.
After a trial on the issue of damages, the court awarded the girl and
her family approximately $15 million. This is one of the largest award
amounts in the history of the United Kingdom.

Birth Injury Lawsuits in the United States While the specific laws in the United Kingdom may differ from those here
in the United States, the principles behind the laws are the same. Generally
speaking, when a hospital, doctor, nurse, or other employee is negligent
in some way and causes an otherwise preventable
birth injury, the family of the injured child can seek compensation for their child’s
limitations and medical expenses.

Types of Damages in Birth Injury Cases Successful birth injury cases can result in several different types of
awards for the injured party, such as:

Past and future medical expenses: This category of compensation is designed
to help the family of the injured child cover the medical expenses associated
with the child’s diagnosis.

Lost future wages: Since the injured child will not likely be able to obtain
and keep a job for the duration of his or her life. this category of compensation
is designed to offset that detriment.

Pain and suffering: An injured child, as well as his or her family, may
be entitled to monetary compensation for the pain and suffering they have
been put through due to the defendant’s negligence.

There are other kinds of possible damages that amy be applicable in some
cases. To learn more about birth injury cases in Maryland and across the
U.S., call a dedicated birth injury attorney.

Has Your Child Been the Victim of a Birth Injury?

If your child has recently been born the victim of a preventable birth
injury, you and your child may both be entitled to monetary compensation.
However, you can also expect that the defendant–whether it be a
doctor, nurse, or hospital–will contest the allegations against
them. To make sure that you are treated fairly throughout the process
and to ensure that you stand a fair chance of getting what you deserve,
call (410) 567-0800 to set up a free initial consultation with an attorney today.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.